What to know about the college football transfer portal

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Transfer portal season has arrived in college football.

The 2026 transfer portal officially opened Jan. 2, allowing college football players to enter their name and transfer to other schools.

Here’s what you need to know.

What is the transfer portal?

The NCAA transfer portal is a database of college football players that are interested in transferring to another school. Once a player enters his name into the transfer portal, coaches from any school can contact them.

Entering the transfer portal is not a binding commitment to leave. Players can enter the transfer portal and return to their original school if the coaching staff is willing to take them back.

How long is the transfer portal open for?

The transfer portal officially opened on Jan. 2 and remains open until Jan. 16. While players wishing to explore transfer options must enter their name into the portal in that timeframe, schools can add players that are in the portal after the transfer portal closes. The majority of transfer portal additions will happen before the end of January, with coaches wanting to get players in for winter workouts.

Is this the only transfer portal window?

Yes. This year, the NCAA has eliminated the spring transfer portal window, meaning that the January window is the only option for players wishing to transfer.

This change will help create roster stability and continuity. Coaches now don’t have to fear losing players after spring football concludes and will have their roster set for the 2026 season in February.

“I think it’s a positive. I don’t think any coach in the country was in favor of two portal windows. It’s just too much instability for your roster, and so I think that’s a big step in the right direction,” former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said in October.

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